Strip forming apparatus



Feb. s, 1938. l s, RED 2,107,585

STRIP FORMING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 28, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNE Y Feb. 8, i938. J. s. REiD v2,107,585

STRIP FORMI NG APPARATUS Fil-ned Feb. 28, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 VENTOR JAMES REID A T TORNE YJ Feb. 8, 1938. L s, REU; 2,107,585

STRIP FORMING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 28, 1,936 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 JNVENTOR JAMES S. REID Patented Feb. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRIP FORMING APPARATUS James S. Reid,

Shaker Heights, Ohio, assignor,

of Ohio Application February 28, 1936, Serial No. 66,182

5 Claims.

This invention relates to strip-forming apparatus and more particularly, to apparatus for forming continuous lengths of a tacking strip consisting of a sheet metal channel member filled with a plasticV composition material, such as a rubber compound.

The general object of the'present invention is the provisionV of improved apparatus for forming such a tackingv strip, said apparatus including means for bending continuous lengths of a fiat metal strip member into channel shape and means for filling continuous lengths of such metal channel member with a plastic composition material.

More specific objects of the present invention, and some of the features thereof, will appear from the following description of two embodiments thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, showing one form of apparatus for forming the present tackingV strip; Figs. 2 to 2c inclusive are perspective views showing thev channel member of the tacking strip in various stages of its formation; Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the present tacking strip; Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive are cross-sectional views of the apparatus of Fig. 1, the views being taken respectively on the lines 4 4 to inclusive; Fig. 8 is a plan View showing another form of apparatus for forming the present tacking strip; and Figs. 9 and 10 are sectional views of the apparatus of Fig. 8, taken respectively on the lines 9-9 and |0-I0, Fig. 8.

The strip-forming apparatus shown in Fig. 1 and in Figs. 4 to-7 inclusive provides, upon a suitable supporting frame work |4, a pair of rollers l5 for supporting a roll of sheet metal I6, said metal having a flat, ribbon-like cross-section, as indicated at A, Fig. 2. The metal strip of this roll passes over a guide roll then through suitable bending or forming means indicated generally at I8, which gives such metal strip a generally channel shape in cross-section, asindicated at D, Fig. 2c, and then through an extruding means indicated generally at I9, which fills such metal channel member with a plastic composition material, such as a rubber compound, the finished tacking strip, as it emerges from the extruding means of the apparatus, being indicated at 20.

The bendingor forming means I8 may consist of suitable dies but is here shown as consisting of a series of pairs of cooperating rolls, each pair of rollsv having .bending or forming passes by means of which the metal strip shown in Fig. 2 is progressively .given the cross-'sectional forms or shapes indicated in Figs. 2a to 2c inclusive. In

other words, the pass between the rst pair of rolls l 8a bends or forms the metal strip as shown in B, Fig. 2b; the pass between the second pair of rolls |8b bends or forms the metal strip as shown at C, Fig. 2c; and the pass between the third pair of rolls bends or forms the metal strip as shown at D, Fig. 2c, this being its finished form.

From said bending or forming means I8, the metal strip, which now has a generally channel shape in cross-section, enters the extruding means ofthe present apparatus. The extruding means here shown includes a generally horizontally disposed tubular casing 2| within which is axially mounted a stationary mandrel 22, through the longitudinal passage-way 23 of which the metal channel member passes, said passageway having a cross-sectional shape and size to snugly receive said channel member so that said member is fully supported and properly guided in its travel through said passageway. Rotatable about this mandrel 22, within the casing 2|, is a suitable feed screw 24, the rotation of which is here elected by a gear 26 rigidly secured thereto and meshing with a pinion 2'| driven by a suitable electric motor 28. Adjacent its entrance end, the casing 2| is provided with a suitable top opening 25, through which the plastic composition material is fedto the feed screw 24.

Bolted or otherwise suitably secured, in pressure-tight relationship, to the discharge end 0f the casing 2|, is an extruding head 29, into the chamber 29a of which the feed screw 24 discharges under pressure the plastic composition material which it receives through the casing opening 25. Arranged within the discharge end of the feed screw 24, at the discharge end of the mandrel 22, is a suitable die 3D, the opening 30a of which conforms to the cross-sectional shape of the metal channel member, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the plastic composition material discharged by the feed screw 24 into the extruding head chamber 29a cannot back up into those portions of said channel member which have not yet entered said chamber from the mandrel 22.

As best shown in Fig. 6, the chamber 29a of the extruding head is formed by a generally U-shaped partition 3|, which provides an eiective support for the base and side wall portions of the metal channel member as it passes through said chamber, the top of said channel member being open and thus in communication with such chamber for the forceful lling of such channel member with the plastic composition material discharged into such chamber by the feed screw 24. In the die plate 2|a of the extruding.. head 29 is a centrally disposed opening 33 through which emerges the iinished tacking strip consisting of the metal channel member and its llng of plastic composition material, said die plate opening being of such size, as indicated in Fig. '7, as to correspond to the finished tacking strip in cross-section, and thus insuring the lling of the metal channel member of the strip to the top of its upper, inwardly extending flanges.

'Ihe rolls of the ben-ding or forming means of the present apparatus may be driven by any suitable mechanism and the nished cross-sectional form or shape of the metal channel member (D, Fig. 2c) is such that said member may be propelled from the bending or forming means through the extruding means of the present apparatus. In other words, the cross-sectional form or shape of the metal channel member gives it sufficient rigidity that it may be driven through the extruding means, and filled with the plastic composition material, without driving aid from another source. However, if assistance is needed in effecting the passage of said channel member through the eXtru-ding means, or if the metal channel member is given a cross-sectional form or shape which does not lend itself to propulsion through the extruding means from the bending or forming means, a pair of pull rolls 34 may be provided for pulling the metal channel member through both parts of the present apparatus. In such a case, the bending or forming means may consist of stationary bending or forming members instead of rotatable ones, all as will be readily' understood.

In the form of apparatus shown in Figs. 8 to 10 inclusive, the bending orl forming means, indicated at 35, and the extruding means, indicated at 36, are arranged at right angles to each other. The feed screw 3l of the extruding means of this apparatus feeds the plastic composition material under pressure into the chamber 38 of an extruding head 38a, through which chamber the metal channel member is passed for the purpose of being filled with the plastic composition material. A suitable die 39, similar to that shown at 30, Fig. 5, performs the corresponding function of preventing the plastic Icomposition material from backing up along the metal channel member as it enters the extruding head chamber 38. Wall portions 4D and 4| of the extruding head 38a provide a proper guide and support for the metal base and side walls of the channel member while it is being filled, from above, with the plastic composition material, and a suitable opening 43, similar to that indicated at 33, Fig. '7, performs the corresponding function of insuring the filling of the channel member to the top of its upper, inwardly extending flanges.

The tacking strip thus formed by the present apparatus is particularly adapted for use in the automotive industry as an anchoring means for upholsteryk tacks, the metal channel member of the strip being capable of being readily secured, by spot-welding or the like, to metal surfaces which are to be covered with upholstery or the like, and the .plastic composition material of the strip being capable of readily receiving and permanently retaining the upholstery-securing tacks.

Further uses of the tacking strip, and further features of the apparatus by means of which it is formed, will occur to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates.

What I claim is: 1. Apparatus for continuously forming a tacking strip consisting of a metal channel stripcontaining plastic composition material, said apparatus comprising means for bending a flat metal strip into channel form, a tubular casing having an inlet opening for plastic composition material, a stationary guide tube extending longitudinally through said casing, a feed screw arranged within said casing for rotation about said guide tube, a chambered head secured to said vtubular casing adjacent the discharge ends of said feed screw and said guide tube, means for rotating said feed screw to discharge under pressure plastic composition material into the chamber of said head, said head having a discharge opening in alignment with the passageway through said guide tube, means for continuously passing Aa flat metal strip through said bending means to give such strip a channel form and for continuously passing the channel strip thus formed through said guide tube, through the chambery of said head, wherein such strip is lled with plastic composition material, and through the outlet opening of said chamber, the passageway through said guide tube being of such size and shape as to support and guide said channel strip during its passage therethrough, and a die at the discharge end of said guide tube having an opening in alignment with the passageway through said guide tube, said die opening having a size and a channel shape corresponding to those. of said channel strip.

2. Apparatus for continuously forming a tacking strip consisting of a metal channel strip containing plastic composition material, said apparatus comprising means for bending a flat metal strip into channel form, extruding means including a chamber and a feed screw for supplying plastic composition material thereto under pressure, and means for continuously passing a flat metal strip through said bending means to give such strip a channel form and for continuously passing the channel strip thus formed through the chamber of said extruding means to ll said stripwith plastic composition material, the path of said strip through said bending means and said chamber extending at right angles to the axis of said feed screw.

3. Apparatus for continuously illing an elongated channel shaped strip with plastic composition under pressure, said apparatus comprising a part having a chamber, means for supplying plastic composition to said chamber under pressure, there being strip inlet and outlet openings in the walls of said chamber, said inlet and outlet openings closely corresponding to the cross section of said unfilled and filled strip respectively, means between said openings providing a continuous support for the outer faces of the side and bottom walls of said channel strip, said last named means providing for access of plastic composition from said chamber to the interior of said strip, and means for passing said strip through said openings and said chamber.

4. Apparatus for continuously filling an elongated channel shaped stripwith plastic composition under pressure, said apparatus comprising a part having a chamber, means for supplying plastic composition to said chamber under pressure, there being strip inlet and outlet openings in the walls of said chamber, said inlet and outlet openings closely corresponding to the cross section of said unlled and lled strip respectively, and means for passing said strip through said openings and said chamber.

5. Apparatus for filling with plastic composition under pressure continuous lengths of a channel shaped strip having bottom and side Walls and partial top Wall flanges extending inwardly from said side Walls, said apparatus comprising a part having a chamber, means for supplying plastic composition to said chamber under pressure, there being strip inlet and outlet openings in the walls of said chamber, said inlet and outlet openings closely corresponding to the cross section of 10 said unfilled and filled strip respectively, means between said openings providing a continuous support for the outer faces of the side and bottom Walls and top Wall flanges of said channel strip, said last named means providing for access of plastic composition from said chamber to the interior of said strip through the open portion of said top wall, and means for passing said strip through said openings and said chamber.

JAMES S. REID. 

